Opie Winston
Harry Winston commonly known as Opie is the President of SAMREN, the Reno Charter of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club. The son of First 9 Piney Winston, Opie's spent most of his life with the Sons. Prospecting with best-friend Jax Teller, it didn't take Harry long till he followed in his father's foot-steps and patching with SAMCRO. Earning his Men of Mayhem patch, Opie's first wife was murdered by Tig Trager by mistake, under the orders of Clay Morrow Beset with grief for Donna, Winston was a changed man. Marrying Lyla, a porn star, Harry has continually struggled with his anguish and uncertainty about his future. Having accompanied Jax to re-establish a charter in Reno; after two years serving as Teller's VP, Opie became President of SAMREN, following the death of Clay. General Description Opie has dark small brooding eyes with shoulder length deep brown hair that is usually left loose and unkempt, and on occasion slicked under a knit wool hat. His eyes have an deep intensity that are undeniably intimidating when the man scowls, which is often. Much of his face is hidden however under a scraggy beard that is rarely trimmed or neatened. Added to the sheer size of the man, Opie stands around 6'4" tall, and is bulky muscular, underlining just what an overbearing presence he is. Having been around the club in some form or capacity for the majority of his life, Harry much like his father has grown into large man, his size crafted through years of graft and struggle both in the service of the Sons, as well as during his stint in prison. Various scars and tattoos litter his body, from the large Sons of Anarchy tattoo upon his back, the Grim-reaper that guards his heart to the scroll of text across his collar-bone, even undressed, Winston's stature remains powerful. Opie has always been about the club. The mechanic was rarely seen in school and as such doesn't have an impressive education. Added to his intimidating aura, some have the impression that he is mere muscle, yet beneath that intimidating exterior, Winston is a quiet and thoughtful man, decisive and an able leader when time requires it of him. Not the smiling sort, it is only when the man is with his brothers, that he is able to relax, and be at ease with himself. He carries a Buck 110 Folding Hunter on his waistband and usually sports a Glock 17. Opie rides a customised Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide Sport. Personality For years people have underestimated the intelligence of Harry 'Opie' Winston, and that doesn't look like ever changing. It is hard to appear the way Opie does and not strike fear into those that don't know him, yet beneath that gruff and powerful exterior is a man gripped by his personal demons and struggles for a future that he has dreamt of since a teenager. Perhaps idealistic, Opie is anything but naive. Since his youth, the big man has hoped for the day that he and Jax would lead SAMCRO together as brothers. Such was their friendship, Opie would willingly do anything Jackson Teller would ask of him, this trust and loyalty to his best friend is something Harry cherishes dearly. That same loyalty remains intrinsically tied to the Sons of Anarchy, especially those of SAMREN. Selfless to a fault, even keeping his silence when faced with prosecution and jail-time, Winston would never try to endanger the Charter and would put his life on the line for his brothers. Quiet, reflective, and methodical, even meticulous in his manner, Opie is the epitome of the 'strong-silent' type. A man of few words, he lets his actions and deeds speak for him, and it is his courage and actions that endear many others to him. Good natured, and undeniably kind, that is not to say the giant man doesn't has a nasty and mean streak to him. Quick to find his temper, and even quicker to go out of control, the man lives in a boiling pot of emotions and constantly struggles with his grief for his dead wife. The father of two children, though he loves them more than anything in the world, his inability to deal with his stricken emotions for his dead wife, leaves the man distant from the impressionable little ones. Having learn that Lyla was taking medication to keep from falling pregnant, and refusing to leave her career as a porn-star, Opie has begun to wonder whether he made a terrible decision in marrying her. Their move to Reno has done little to ease these concerns. Like Jax, the club's in his blood, it's the only life and family he's ever known. History Harry 'Opie' Winston was born the son of Mary and Piermont 'Piney' Winston, his father one of the 'First 9' of the Sons of Anarchy and good friends with John Teller, the father of Jackson 'Jax' Teller. Opie's childhood was of little fortune growing up in Charming. Never one for school, Opie's only constant was that of his friendship to Jackson Teller, the two boys inseparable. After his mother and father split, Opie was taken away from Charming by Mary. However, the apple never fell far from the tree with Harry, and like his father, the young man would quickly find his place in the Sons of Anarchy by the time he was sixteen, having run away from his mother to return to the club. Unfortunately for Opie, the early years of being part of SAMCRO was both filled with a mix of joy and sorrow. Meeting and falling in love with Donna, the two were quickly married and were soon blessed with the birth of a son and daughter, Kenny and Ellie. However during a commission to blow up a truck yard belonging to a rival gang, fate had in-store a cruel twist. Having been left high-and-dry by Kyle Hobart, who was supposed to help Opie get away, Harry was soon arrested on site by police. His conviction for arson came quickly, where he was sentenced to five years. After his eventual release from prison, Opie came out a somewhat changed man. Determined to prove his worth to Donna, and his children, the man made the conscientious decision to try and live life on the straight and narrow. However earning 'clean' money from a job at the lumber mill paid very little, and with increasing pressures from his wife as well as ever rising debts, Opie struggled between a dedication to his wife and a longing for his former life within SAMCRO. Coupled with the further enticement of his brothers to return to SAMCRO in a more hands-on capacity, it wasn't long before Harry finally succumbed to the life he once led. Eventually talked into returning by Jax, Opie ends his 'half-in-half-out' mentality with the Sons, and threw himself into all of SAMCRO's activities, both legal and illegal. Sinking further into the club, it is during one of Clay and Tig's secret plans to get the Mayans and One-Niners to turn against each other and incite a war between them where Opie is forced to kill for the first time. With the plan failing, and one of the One-Niners gets the drop on Tig, Harry resorts to killing the gangster. Unfortunately for every one, but especially Opie, the increase of violence brings Charming under the interests of the ATF. Led by June Stahl, the ATF seem determined to end the Son's of Anarchy's reign of terror on Charming. Targeting the recently prison released Opie as a possible weak-link, Stahl conspires to have his brother's turn on Winston. Taking both Harry and Donna in for questioning, they hold the couple for an undetermined amount of time. With no sign of Opie, those within SAMCRO, especially Clay and Tig, are left with the impression that Winston has turned on them, having known of his struggles between the life as a brother and the life as a husband. Though Opie and Donna never turn on SAMCRO, the suspicion and seeds of doubt planted in the minds of many of those within Sons by the time the couple are released. Opie immediately returns to SAMCRO upon his release to explain his side of events, hoping that his honesty will show him as trustworthy. Though Clay gives Winston and those at the table the impression that he no longer has any doubts over Opie's integrity, Tig convinces Clay that Opie is now a threat to them, and the two conspire to kill Opie. The arrest surprisingly brought Donna and Opie closer together than ever before, ironically, Donna even began to see herself as part of the club. It was after a night of socialising with those in the club that Donna would be inadvertently murdered by Tig, having mistaken her for Opie. Opie fell into a deep depression following the death of his wife, that had been blamed upon the One-Niners as retribution for the Sons' attack on them. Riddled with guilt, Opie becomes emotionally distant from his children, and becomes entrenched in the more violent operations of the club. Twisted and used by Clay, Opie becomes a much darker man, and even finds himself arguing with Jackson over the heading of the Club. Falling into a relationship with Layla, a porn-star and single mother, Opie's world is again shattered by the revelation of the guilt-ridden Tig, who finally confesses the truth of Donna's death to the mechanic. Opie's anger comes full-circle, yet somehow the man is able to stem back his tide of hate and stops himself from killing Tig and Clay, forgiving the two-men for the sake of SAMCRO, with the club close to fracturing. This change in Opie brings the man out of a dark period in his life, and actually helps him to keep the dream of he and Jax leading the Sons alive. Persuading Clay into to forgiving both Chibs and and his father, Piney for transgressions against the club, Jackson and Harry secretly plan to bring the club away from Clay's brutal tendencies. With the abduction of Jackson's son, Abel, and the death of 'Half-Sack', Opie continues to try and be a source of strength for the troubled charter, yet with the ATF circling, and trouble with the IRA rising, even Harry is not immune to the pressure and struggles. Now battling with his inability to accept his lover's career in the adult entertainment business, Opie almost incites a full scale war with the Chinese Triads. However with crisis averted by Clay, and after a conversation with Gemma, Opie suddenly proposes to Layla, who accepts. This sudden development of good news, helps to stabilise the club, and with Jackson forming a plan to swiftly end the ATF's interest in SAMCRO, things quickly come to a close when following the arrest of several members of SAMCRO, Opie with Chibs, Piney and Kozik and with the help of Unser, ambush Stahl. Opie executes Stahl by shooting her in the back of the head with a MAC-10, explaining to her that is how Donna died, and following shows physical relief for having finally gotten revenge against the female. For the next fourteen months, Opie helps to lead the charter keeping the club afloat, establishing the updated supply line of Irish weaponry and even patching in new members. Upon the release of those amongst SAMCRO incarcerated, he and Lyla immediately wed. The event is used by SAMCRO to swiftly deal retribution to the Russian Mafia, however places them into bed with the Columbian Cartel. Reluctant to enter into a deal with the drug cartel, fearing what his incarceration or death would do to his new family, Opie conspires with Jax into thwarting the vote. The eventual vote splits the club so much, that Opie is amongst those that leave for Reno, with Jackson. Taking over the reins of a former Charter in Reno, not far east of Charming, with Jackson as President and Opie Vice-President, Wintson's dream was finally realised. Category:Characters